The Battle for the Dawn
by RED78910
Summary: The final battle of the Reaper War is about to begin. In the last moments of calm before the climax of the conflict Liara has one final thing to ask of her bondmate. One that may give her the strength needed to carry on and win the war: allow her to conceive their first child.


**A/N: **A very special thank you goes out to** Desert Sunrise **for their hard Beta work on this story**.**

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><p><strong>The Battle for the Dawn<strong>

**London. 2186.**

Liara T'Soni stood in a dark, bombed out old building looking over a badly injured Alliance marine. His wounds were too severe to be helped with what limited resources they had, so she had given him something to ease his passing and had sent a prayer to...whatever god, goddess, gods, or omniscient force that controlled the universe existed and would let such levels of death, destruction and misery continue.

Sighing, she stepped back from the marine and looked around the room to take another look at the two dozen others who were just like the man whose life was now measured in minutes, if not less. The cots were all lined up in neat, orderly rows; the sound of rifle fire and the light coming in from the outside through gaping holes in the building caused by the battle raging all around the FOB doing little to distract Liara from how dark and miserable the situation was.

A quiet voice from behind her, however, did. "How are the casualties?"

The asari turned slightly and managed half a smile, if only for a second. Captain Jessica Shepard stood in the doorway in her N7 armor, helmet off, with various weapons on her hips or back. Liara frowned in sorrow at the appearance of her bondmate; her blue eyes, once so bright and full of life and happiness, had now become dull and lifeless and seemed like ice every time Liara looked into them.

Her hair, which had often changed color on whatever whim had crossed the human's fancy, was now back to her natural dark brown, and her skin, naturally light colored, had lost its vibrancy and looked almost ashen. The commander had endured countless sleepless nights since the war began, and though Liara had done her best to help her when she had awoken from a nightmare, there was only so much loving words could do.

Looking back at the wounded marines, the Shadow Broker answered, "They haven't brought in too many wounded, and some of the ones they brought here won't make it."

Jessica nodded and walked up beside Liara, "That's...too bad."

In a voice that sounded devoid of all hope, Liara asked, "This is it. Isn't it?"

Jessica nodded, "Yeah. It is."

Partially out of desperation and partly to try to cheer the mood up, Liara turned toward her bondmate and asked, "You don't have a clever line to suddenly make things seem less grim?"

Jessica gave a sad smile as she spoke. "Sorry. We'll just have to make up a good story for all those little blue children. I know I'll probably have something witty five minutes from now, if that makes it any better."

Liara cringed at the thought. _Children_.

It occurred to Liara in that moment just how little time she and Jessica had remaining before the final push began and it terrified her. This would, in all likelihood, be the last fight of their brief lives. And if they did somehow manage to win, how many would be left alive to rebuild? How likely was it that she or Jessica would survive? Or, less likely yet, that they both would?

Liara did her best to not think about it, but the realistic and logical parts of her mind kept returning to the fact that the odds were stacked against them. It was almost certain that Jessica, and herself if Liara were to be totally honest, would not survive this battle.

An idea popped into the asari's head in that moment. A rash, desperate idea, but an idea none the less. She wasn't sure if Jessica would agree to it, but she had to try. For her own sake, if no one else's.

Liara looked at her bondmate and spoke in a voice that was timid and hesitant even by her own standards, "Jessica, may I...may I ask something of you?"

The human looked over and smiled, "Anything."

Liara took a breath and explained, "We...we have always talked of one day having children. We've always wanted to wait until the right moment when you had no other obligations and I had something resembling a normal work schedule."

Jessica nodded with a frown on her face and Liara continued, "However, it seems to me that there may never be a time when that is the case. In the battle to come, one or both of us will very likely die. Should I lose you…" Liara shuddered and looked to at the floor for a moment before continuing, "I...I don't think I could go on. At least not without some piece of you. Something to remember you by."

Resolved in her decision, Liara looked her bondmate in the eyes, "Jessica, I think we should conceive a child."

The human was shocked but managed to keep herself in check as she began, "Liara...this...this isn't a good idea. I mean-"

Liara interrupted, "I know. We both may die out there today. I may die and we would lose our child in the process. Still, I stand by what I said. I have always known that I will lose you someday Jessica, but I don't believe I could go on if I lost you now."

The asari took both the human's hands in her own, "I know it would not be ideal, but I have a great deal of money; our daughter would not want for anything. I will always place her needs and wants before my own. She will know of her father, how wonderful and loving you were to me and all those around you. She will know you loved her and wanted to be with her. She will…"

The asari began to cry, "Please, Jessica. I...I need this. You. Her. At least something of you in my life after all this is over. Otherwise ..."

Jessica took Liara's chin in her hand and made Liara face her, "Alright. I...I'm going to agree to this. But, Liara..." The asari thought, in that moment, her wife looked more terrified than she had in the entire time Liara had known her. Jessica continued, "When we go out there and cross that no man's land, you stay down. You keep moving. If we do this, I need you two to survive. Never mind the galaxy, I can handle that. You must get yourself and our daughter out of here if things don't look like we're winning. You understand?"

Liara smiled and had tears in her eyes as she nodded, "Thank you Jessica. You...you don't know what this means to me."

Jessica nodded and the two held hands as the asari instructed, "Close your eyes. This will only take a moment."

Jessica did as instructed and after a few seconds the human felt a wave of energy wash over her, like a wave in the ocean. It engulfed her, spread throughout her and, in an instant, Jessica Shepard was no longer standing in a burned-out building in London. All their surroundings had faded away. Only Liara was with her, still holding her hands, in a vast darkness that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Soon, Jessica felt another sensation. It was strange, but also tender and warm. It felt like something was brushing up against her mind and certain parts of her body. It didn't feel like a hand, more like warm water running up and down her body and mind. She felt every emotion she could imagine all at once. Hate, love, anger, despair, happiness, sympathy, envy.

Memories she thought she had forgotten raced through her mind. Spending time with her mother on the bridge of a starship. Her father taking her to shoot at the range on a marine installation. Saying goodbye to her father at his funeral after he had been killed in action.

Many of the memories were Liara's and yet they seemed as much a part of Jessica's life as if she had lived them herself. Growing up on a vast estate on Thessia watched over at first by a loving mother, then by a group of hard faced commandos. Long nights spent reading books about history and science. Benezia teaching how to read people, manipulate them, and discover their hidden agendas.

Eventually, in the span of a few moments that seemed like a lifetime, stars began to appear in the sky. It was just a few at first, then there were a dozen. And then a dozen more. Soon there were hundreds.

Not long after that, Jessica could feel...something. No. _Someone_ else. There was another mind involved in this now; the human could feel it.

Soon, a light appeared off in the distance, shining brighter and far more pure than even the most glorious sunrise. The light began to race across the sky, engulfing all the little stars and lights in the process, growing more and more bright if that were possible.

Jessica looked to her wife and smiled brightly as they managed to kiss passionately just as the light engulfed them. As the meld slowly faded, the couple looked at each other with weary smiles on their faces.

Jessica ventured, "I...I think I have a name."

Liara smiled, "You do?"

"Aurora. It's the name of an ancient human goddess of the dawn. It...seemed appropriate."

Liara took one of Jessica's hands and place it with her own over her stomach, "I think she'll love it." With a loving and genuinely happy voice, she said, "Thank you, Jessica. For everything."

Liara kissed her bondmate one last time and told her, "I love you."

The asari then stepped back a few feet and squared her shoulders. They would win this war. Not just for their child, but for all the children yet to be born. And their children. And their children. The dawn would come again, Liara would see to that. And with it, a future that the inhabitants of the galaxy could and would do great and wonderful things with, having no more demons in the shadows to worry about.

The Shadow Broker looked her wife in the eye and said in a voice that held only determination and strength, "Let's do what needs to be done."


End file.
